


Save the Ones You Love

by Arytra



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers S.P.D.
Genre: Character Death, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-07 03:03:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1114719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arytra/pseuds/Arytra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a horrible tragedy befalls Tommy, he disappears and the Dino Thunder Rangers race to find him and bring him home.  What they find was something they never expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Save the Ones You Love

**Author's Note:**

> So, my muse decided to get on the angst train and never look back.

The phone rang three times before Conner finally answered it. He hadn’t meant to wait that long, but two of his students were in the way and one of them had kicked the ball so wrong that he felt the need to correct it on his way over. He pushed to answer it and dodged a soccer ball as it sailed at his head, turning to give a dirty look to his all-too-innocent looking assistant before answering. “Conner McKnight.”

“Conner?” He immediately was on his guard. He put his hand over the mouthpiece and looked behind him to where his assistant’s smirk was slowly fading. He didn’t want to know how guarded he looked at the moment.

“Charlie!” He called out. “Take the younger kids for a run.”

She nodded, doing as he asked. Hiring the sixteen year old girl had been the best plan he’d ever had, even if she was abandoning him soon to go to SPD. Stupid SPD. Stupid former mentor. Stupid boyfriend. Stupid best Tech in the world. They were thieves, the whole lot of them. He shook his head, setting the thought aside for the moment and focused on the phone call. “Hayley? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Tommy…” she got out. His heart clenched.

“Is he okay? Is Ethan okay? Do you need me to come out there?” He asked, trying not to panic.

“Tommy’s… physically he’s fine, but…” she said. Conner closed his eyes and took a breath.

“Ethan?”

“He’s fine. It’s just Tommy,” she said. He’d known Hayley for years which was the only reason he believed she wasn’t lying to him through her strained tone. She didn’t sound shattered, but it was clear whatever was wrong was worse than she was able to say. She probably didn’t want him to floor it and get in a crash or something. She was probably smart to think that.

“Hayley? Just hang on. I’ll be there soon. And no, I’m not driving,” he promised. He hung up and looked over. “Charlie! Go grab one of the other teachers for the kids and get to the car.”

She looked at him, getting one of the kids to do as she was asked as she made her way over. “Conner?”

He shoved the keys of his car into her hand. “I need you to drive me to Newtech,” he said. She looked at the keys, glanced over to see that the kids had an adult with them, and climbed into the driver’s seat. Conner looked at little relieved.

“Why aren’t you driving, Boss?” She asked, heading out of the parking lot. Conner just looked straight ahead and his near calm tone didn’t hide the underlying fear very well.

“Something is wrong with Dr. O,” he answered. She floored it.

***

Conner had found Charlie when she was eleven years old, a foster kid put into his program for one of her required activities. He’s taken a shining to her and became her mentor with the State and foster family’s blessing. After finding out that Charlie loved cars, Conner had brought her to Ronny to help teach her how to drive, first on the track and later off once it was legal. Between Conner and Ronny, Charlie could apparently floor it and drive almost safely. She made her way through calmly as Conner kept his cellphone on him in case he needed to call Carter, Wes, and Eric for backup if cops showed up. Right now, he didn’t feel like being law abiding. The car stopped in front of the base and both of them piled out, heading to the gates. Conner didn’t even pause as Charlie quickly took care of the security and hurried to catch up. Ethan was pacing the halls when Conner came up, pulled the other man to him in a kiss and looked over his shoulder. “Hayley?”

The woman was white as a sheet and now that Conner was able to see Ethan, he could see that his lover was equally panicky. “We should wait until Kira and Trent get here…” Hayley said. Conner shook his head.

“We don’t have time. Tell me what’s wrong with him,” Conner demanded. Ethan was the one who spoke up.

“There was a bomb, Conner. Someone tried to bomb SPD,” he said softly. Conner immediately fell into leader mode. He could panic later.

“Is he okay?” He asked. Ethan nodded.

“It wasn’t in his section,” he answered. “It was in Jason’s.”

Conner swallowed to keep himself from vomiting. “Jason’s? We lost Jason?”

“We lost all of them,” Hayley whispered. “All five of them.”

Conner didn’t wait for them to continue. “Charlie! Stay with Hayley and Ethan!”

“Where are you going?” She asked, doing as he asked but he didn’t answer. He made his way into the infirmary where he’d laughed with Ethan when something went wrong or rolled his eyes at Doctor O when his former mentor managed to get caught up in some problem or another. Today it seemed colder, darker. He made his way to Tommy’s bed and saw that his mentor was awake and met the pain in his eyes. He ignored the bandages on the older man’s hands as he just stood and waited for the recognition. Red met Sixth and Conner sat at his side, hand on Doctor O’s arm. He waited patiently, hoping that Charlie would be able to keep the others back.

“I should have been there.” Tommy’s voice was harsh and pained, broken from screaming and breaking down. Conner didn’t mention it. “They needed me.”

Conner didn’t answer. He didn’t bring up the fact that Tommy would have died along with them, that he couldn’t help them this time. He didn’t bring it up because he knew that Tommy would have preferred that and he couldn’t handle his mentor wanting to die. Instead, he reached over and pulled Tommy into a hug, letting him cry. By the time Charlie lost control of the group, Tommy had fallen asleep and Conner was just staying at his side as a protector. It didn’t surprise him when the other three followed suit. It didn’t surprise him when Hayley climbed in the bed with him, holding her best friend. It did surprise him when Charlie stood at the door, glaring at everyone who walked past, but he felt more amused than anything at that. He took Kira’s hand, kissing her temple and felt Trent touch his back before moving to curl up with Ethan. Silently, they mourned for those they had lost and the unknown future.


End file.
